Feature Request: check/uncheck items to be Mirrored. (7 posts)

Kevin Brock Member

I just sent this e-mail via the Support contact page, but I figured I'd post it contents here as well, for the benefit of other users:

I had used Fetch 4.0.3. for quite some time then finally decided to upgrade to Fetch 5.6 as I have begun to interact with my FTP/webspace much more recently. There are some great new features that have been introduced since my v.4. I really like the concept of "mirroring". However, I would love to see the options here grow & mature even further.

See, the problem I have with the mirroring is that my host puts an invisible file at the root of my site. It's .membership When I attempt to use Fetch to sync the root of the webspace to my local folder, it balks because of this "hidden" UNIX file. The only way to perform a mirror is to alter the directories by hand until everything has been mirrored again. This basically defeats the purpose of a quick, easy syncing scenario. I realize you can't control the files that my host decides to populate my space with. However, I'd like to think that one day Fetch's mirroring options will grow in a manner that will allow one to work around a host's "restrictions".

In the meantime, I simply cannot use Fetch for mirroring. I use it for standard interaction with the FTP server, but not with synching. Sadly I have to launch an additional FTP app to make this happen. The "other" app is Cyberduck and the way they've implemented their version of "mirroring" is quite slick. Before syncing the source and target folder a window pops up with a list of all the items that are about to be synced-up. In this panel, one can use to click-unclick particular files and/or folders. This toggles on/off whether or not a certain item is actually going to be used as a source and get moved over. So if for instance, I wanted to de-select this pesky .membership file, I do so. Then I press "go". The files/folders all sync up EXCEPT for the un-checked .membership file. Great!

Don't know how well this forum supports html, but here's a link to a screen-shot of how Cyberduck looks before you do a "mirror". (I've hidden the files in this directory and the Details area at the bottom.)

If Fetch had this kind of functionality then it would become one-stop shopping for me. Right now I'm using two FTP apps to handle everything which is not as efficient.

As another example: I use additional software for localized syncing and "mirroring". It's called ChronoSync. And it has the same ability to toggle files/folders on and off before you perform the sync-up so that you can customize the process precisely. Further they allow rules so you can TRULY dictate a highly specific sync and then, like Fetch, save this document out. Here's a screenshot of how ChronoSync looks when you're in "Trial" Sync mode. It shows what is about to get moved from the source to the target. Simply un-checking any of the files will prevent them moving over to the target.

I understand these types of requests can take long long times to develop, if at all. I just wanted to throw it out there. I think the ability to further customize the "mirroring" process would be greatly appreciated by other users as well. For me, right now, Fetch's iteration of mirroring simply doesn't work at all, because of a fluke with my particular host. Would be great to be able to work around this. Thanks so much for your time & attention.

Kevin Brock Member

When I point Fetch to the root of my site as the 'source' then a local folder as the the 'target' and then attempt to launch a mirror, you can tell at the bottom of the Fetch window that's it's trying to communicate with the site. It flashes .membership in the little panel at the bottom of Fetch. Then after only a few seconds I'm greeted with the message:

"...Fetch could not get ".membership" because the FTP server encountered an error accessing the file or folder.

If you entered a file name, folder name, or URL check that it is correct. Server responded ".membership: Forbidden command argument".."

Jim Matthews Administrator

Thanks for that information, Kevin. Could you send an email to bugs@fetchsoftworks.com with the contents of the Fetch Transcript window after you try this mirror download and get the error? I'll see if we can come up with a workaround.